Starbound - Any way to detect mineral in the ground without having to dig?

Solution 1:

Nope, no such technology exists.

The best you can do is light the dirt to see about 6-8 blocks into it. Beyond that, you're better off just looking underground.

Solution 2:

As of 1.0, you can create an Ore Detector at an Agricultural Station.

When used, a green circle is emitted which temporarily highlights any ores in a block color:

From my testing, this seems to highlight all ores but coal.

Solution 3:

Actually, there is a way to do this. If you have the matter manipulator out, it highlights any blocks the cursor is over, even if it's out of mining range. This allows you to see any block on the screen simply by mousing over it.

Solution 4:

I know this probably isn't what you're looking for but there is another way to find ores in the ground without having to create anything or using the matter manipulator to see, that is to use the command /fullbright having admin privilege.

(I don't recommend that, it would spoil the fun)